Baseball Pre-Season Practice

[RoosterJacket]

English didn't pitch much last year in HS due to some arm issues...I think a case of "dead arm" last year. He didn't pitch any in the fall either. I think they are going to try to get him pitching in a month or two.

I do believe Kel is expected to play RF this season.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Where will Kel Johnson( #25) play? Has he gotten his batting eye back?

Not as of the end of summer in Cape Cod league. He had a .151 BA and .207 OBP last summer. He struck out 24 times vice 8 hits. http://www.thebaseballcube.com/players/profile.asp?P=kel-johnson

But someone on the internet (never wrong net ) said Kel was one of the top 100 or so prospects to leave early.

Regardless, Hall will only play him if he will help the team. If I watched batting practice and scrimmages, this "opinion" would be much more founded.

 

[MWBATL]

The AJC article I referenced earlier stated that Kel was finally over the injury he sustained last year. Would this cause his batting slump...or was it that everyone figured out he had trouble with the curve? I suspect we will find the answer to this question pretty early in the ACC schedule...not so much in preseason.

 

[Squints]

Would this cause his batting slump...or was it that everyone figured out he had trouble with the curve?

Don't read too much into it. It's a 53 at bat sample size in the best wood bat summer league after his first year of college. Pitchers always have a huge advantage in those leagues because they can actually pitch inside with way better effectiveness and college batters are typically not used to this (you can fight those pitches off better with aluminum than wood who would have thought?). It's a different environment, different coaches, and different equipment. The fact that he was invited as a Freshman is impressive enough in my eyes.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Don't read too much into it. It's a 53 at bat sample size in the best wood bat summer league after his first year of college. Pitchers always have a huge advantage in those leagues because they can actually pitch inside with way better effectiveness and college batters are typically not used to this (you can fight those pitches off better with aluminum than wood who would have thought?). It's a different environment, different coaches, and different equipment. The fact that he was invited as a Freshman is impressive enough in my eyes.

Ok, the bats may be different. So let me put it this way. Kel had the worst summer batting average of any Jacket hitter playing summer ball. http://beesball.com/summer2015.html

But the age / experience issue may be a good point ..... Trevor Craport was the only other So this year who played. The rest were Jr/Sr. And Craport's .411 was in the Sunbelt League.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

...........Thanks for posting, nice break from thinking about basketball and football. Tonight, I'll try to post about all of our top PG 300 recruits. A lot of Georgia studs and I'll see which school in Georgia has best recruits coming up ...... (but the better they are the less likely to come to any college).

Here I pulled up our recruits according to ranking on Perfect Games 1st 2nd and 3rd teams. Of these players, the top 7 were from Ga and two from Ohio.

In baseball we did recruit a bit better than UGAg (they also had 9 players but ours were higher ranked). And we recruited much better than anyone else in Georgia. It will all come down to who goes to the minors in the draft........

Ranking Name Pos. City St Grad
27 Xzavion Curry SS Atlanta GA 2016
39 Garrett Gooden RHP Decatur GA 2016
185 Kyle McCann C Suwanee GA 2016
207 Jason Rooks OF Marietta GA 2017
219 Taylor Trammell OF Powder Springs GA 2016
226 Austin Wilhite 2B Buford GA 2016
227 Nick Wilhite OF Buford GA 2016
230 Jay Wilson RHP Cincinnati OH 2016
301 Chase Murray OF Cincinnati OH 2016

 

[RoosterJacket]

Here I pulled up our recruits according to ranking on Perfect Games 1st 2nd and 3rd teams. Of these players, the top 7 were from Ga and two from Ohio.

In baseball we did recruit a bit better than UGAg (they also had 9 players but ours were higher ranked). And we recruited much better than anyone else in Georgia. It will all come down to who goes to the minors in the draft........

Ranking Name Pos. City St Grad
27 Xzavion Curry SS Atlanta GA 2016
39 Garrett Gooden RHP Decatur GA 2016
185 Kyle McCann C Suwanee GA 2016
207 Jason Rooks OF Marietta GA 2017
219 Taylor Trammell OF Powder Springs GA 2016
226 Austin Wilhite 2B Buford GA 2016
227 Nick Wilhite OF Buford GA 2016
230 Jay Wilson RHP Cincinnati OH 2016
301 Chase Murray OF Cincinnati OH 2016

I think the two we have to worry the most about getting drafted and going are Curry and Trammel. Others may get drafted, but from some reports, Curry and Trammel could be fairly high draft picks. Last year's class was great with only one signee "going pro".

 

[Stinger90]

2016 College Conference Preview: ACC - BaseballAmerica.com: http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/161723/#.VrT3OZX88Jk

 

[GTNavyNuke]

2016 College Conference Preview: ACC - BaseballAmerica.com: http://www.baseballamerica.com/college/161723/#.VrT3OZX88Jk

Nice summary, surprised they didn't mention our (hopefully) improved pitching. That is what will make or break our season.

Freshman of the year as Cole Sands (FSU)?????? That is an outside bet. Sands was drafted in 22nd round. Our Jonathan Hughes will kick his *** (68th in draft overall). But then everything you read on the internet is right.

Kel at 15th for draft this year from ACC? I hope so since it will mean he figures out how to get on base more (not strike out as much). But the performance isn't there, yet.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Oh yeah

One week to opening pitch.

 

[RoosterJacket]

Oh yeah

One week to opening pitch.

Our first game is the 19th, but wish it would get here faster. Go Jackets!

 

[augustabuzz]

... But then everything you read on the internet is right.
...

Except for that part about Va Poly participating in ACC baseball since 1954.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Our first game is the 19th, but wish it would get here faster. Go Jackets!

Damn, ruined my weekend.

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Nice article by Ken Sugiura: http://georgiatech.blog.ajc.com/2016/02/02/5-things-to-know-about-georgia-techs-baseball-preseason/

Pitching: six or seven pitchers auditioning for starting rotation jobs. Brandon Gold, Jonathan King, Ben Parr and Cole Pitts are returning.

Hitting: This is what I think is the likely weak link this year.

Defense: Outfielders Ryan Peurifoy, Keenan Innis and Johnson are back, but Hall expects challenges from freshman Brandt Stallings and senior Grant Wruble. At first, freshman Tristin English, catchers Arden Pabst and Joey Bart (another freshman), Air Force transfer Coleman Poje and Gold are competing.

I spent the day doing working on things ..... am so ready for some baseball. (In 13 days )

 

[GTNavyNuke]

Chase Murray hitting lasers .....

 

[Stinger90]

Love to hear that crack of the bat.

 

[buzz_wiser©]

Helluva hitch!! sucha graceful swing also

 

[MWBATL]

So, I feel the excitement slowly building inside me for the season opener. I will be out of town for most of the first weekend, and am hoping I can get to Sunday's game.

My biggest question revolves around the young pitchers, as I think our entire season depends on how our pitching fares, and I don't see more than one front line starter right now among our returning arms. So, when and how will we see the freshmen used early in the season? Will we throw any of them out there that first weekend? Will they be held back until later in the preseason? Any guesses on who amongst them get appearances and how they will be used?

 

[RoosterJacket]

So, I feel the excitement slowly building inside me for the season opener. I will be out of town for most of the first weekend, and am hoping I can get to Sunday's game.

My biggest question revolves around the young pitchers, as I think our entire season depends on how our pitching fares, and I don't see more than one front line starter right now among our returning arms. So, when and how will we see the freshmen used early in the season? Will we throw any of them out there that first weekend? Will they be held back until later in the preseason? Any guesses on who amongst them get appearances and how they will be used?

I think you are exactly right about the pitching. My guess would be that first weekend we will see 2-5 freshmen pitchers get a few innings. I don't think any of them will start the first weekend, but they should get some relief appearances. I'd guess we will possibly see Hughes, Gibson, Delaney, Lee, Carpenter, and Gauvreau. King and Gold will start Fri/Sat and probably P. Wiseman or Pitts on Sunday. There is a midweek game at Ga Southern the following Wednesday, so my thought is which one of Pitts/Wiseman don't start Sunday will start that game (unless one of the freshmen has impressed and grabs that spot right away).

Go away cold and let's start some baseball!!

 

[GTNavyNuke]

I agree that we'll probably see a lot of pitchers for a few innings ....... and it's the part I'm looking forward to the most. Only the coaches can know who has the college level stuff....... I fully expect us to get better as the season goes on.

Here's the TV schedule (embedded in the discussion as to provider) http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-basebl/spec-rel/020816aaa.html

and here as to days....... http://www.ramblinwreck.com/sports/m-basebl/sched/geot-m-basebl-sched.html

I'll be out of the country for three weeks shortly after the season starts. But I'll follow from afar, but not able to watch..... hope it's good karma. If so, I leave more often.